(06-23-2017 11:27 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  The data clearly demonstrates that the Dakotas are firmly Midwest, and so sparse in population they are heavily dependent on neighboring Midwest States. The Montana schools, like all the Big Sky are Western, and tied heavily to California and the Pacific Northwest. There is no synergy, no common interest. Sure a few an boys want to be big time (same for all schools) but it's clear from the failed marriage o North Dakota in the Big Sky, the upper Midwest doesn't work well with the west.

Absolutely correct, and agreed 100%.

One huge factor, in the sense of geography: all of the Dakota flagship universities (with the minor exception of U of S Dakota) are on the extreme eastern side of the state. If they had been on the western side of the state ... things might have been completely different. On the far west side of North Dakota, it is the Mountain timezone in fact ...